DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Amid skepticism after days of fan parades in Doha and throngs of individuals greeting crew buses arriving at lodges, World Cup organizers insisted Wednesday the environment is genuine.“Quite a few journalists and commentators on social media have questioned whether or not these are ‘actual’ followers,” Qatari match organizers mentioned in a press release. “We completely reject these assertions, that are each disappointing and unsurprising.”Many followers who’ve gathered sporting crew colours are initially from India — a cricket-crazed nation which by no means performed at a World Cup — and among the many massive majority of abroad employees in Qatar’s 2.9 million inhabitants.Followers touring from abroad sometimes don’t arrive at a World Cup till nearer to their groups’ first sport and the match begins on Sunday.One video clip posted from exterior the England crew lodge Tuesday confirmed followers chanting the road “It’s coming house” from the “Three Lions” fan anthem sung since 1996.Solutions that Qatar was hiring individuals to be followers adopted reviews this month that match organizers had been paying all bills for about 1,600 followers drawn from the 31 visiting groups to journey and sing within the opening ceremony on Sunday earlier than the house crew performs Ecuador.The invited followers should keep for at the least two weeks and are inspired to publish optimistic social media content material about Qatar and the match, whereas reporting accounts which publish abusive feedback on-line.The rebuttal Wednesday by Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Supply & Legacy defended soccer followers dwelling within the nation “a lot of whom share emotional connections with a number of nations.”“In other places all over the world, followers have completely different traditions, alternative ways to have a good time, and whereas which will distinction with what individuals are used to in Europe or South America, it doesn’t imply the fervour for soccer is any much less genuine,” organizers mentioned.Followers dwelling in Qatar may additionally purchase cheaper match tickets in a class solely for residents.They value 40 riyals ($11) for every of the 47 group-stage video games performed after the Qatar-Ecuador opener, in comparison with the bottom worth of 250 riyals ($69) for worldwide guests.___
World Cup organizers defend Qatar residents as ‘actual followers’
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